The House voted Friday to fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency amid the partial government shutdown, with Republicans casting the bill as an emergency measure to help Americans threatened by the approaching tropical storm.
The bill was one of several House Republicans have pushed in recent days to fund chunks of the government.
They've been pressuring Democrats, with little success, to support these mini-spending measures while the budget impasse drags on. Republicans upped that pressure on Friday, saying disaster response is critical as Tropical Storm Karen tracks toward the Gulf Coast and is poised to hit this weekend.
"When you've got a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, this is not a time for partisanship," Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said after the vote, flanked by Gulf state lawmakers. Scalise called on President Obama to remove his veto threat and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to pass the bill in the Senate.
"This is about people's lives, people's businesses," Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, said.
The House voted 247-164 to approve the FEMA spending bill.
The chamber plans to vote later in the day on nutrition services for low-income women and children.
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